Update Feb. ’09: Also found this version on YouTube; enjoy!
The sound quality isn’t ideal, but it’s a wonderfully unique use of the instruments, and the kids do a really good job (somewhat strained vocals at the end not withstanding).
On a slightly weirder note, there’s harptallica.com – harp duet versions of 10 Metallica songs, coming soon to a CD near you (be afraid… be very afraid).
This came to me by way of one of the members of our early music ensemble; thanks Sue!
“John of Salisbury (1120 – 1180) taught at the University of Paris during the years of Léonin and Pérotin. He attended many concerts at the Notre Dame Choir School. In De nugis curialiam he offers a first-hand description of what was happening to music in the high Middle Ages. This philosopher and Bishop of Chartres wrote:
“When you hear the soft harmonies of the various singers, some taking high and others low parts, some singing in advance, some following in the rear, others with pauses and interludes, you would think yourself listening to a concert of sirens rather than men, and wonder at the powers of voices … whatever is most tuneful among birds, could not equal. Such is the facility of running up and down the scale; so wonderful the shortening or multiplying of notes, the repetition of the phrases, or their emphatic utterance: the treble and shrill notes are so mingled with tenor and bass, that the ears lost their power of judging. When this goes to excess it is more fitted to excite lust than devotion; but if it is kept in the limits of moderation, it drives away care from the soul and the solicitudes of life, confers joy and peace and exultation in God, and transports the soul to the society of angels…” (Hayburn 18).
This cheerful sounding melody is often referred to by older Canadians as “The Friendly Giant Tune”, for its role on the well-loved kid’s show of yore. While it may sound chipper, the lyrics in fact are far from happy: “Early one morning, just as the sun was rising, I saw a fair maid singing in the valley below: “Oh, don’t deceive me, oh never leave me; How could you use a poor maiden so?”
The HarpBlog Tune of the Month is courtesy of Chubby Sparrow Music . For a printable version, right click on the picture and choose “save target as”, or pop over to the Chubby Sparrow Free Music page for more detailed printing instructions (note: if you just left click and try to print directly from the browser, it probably won’t print at the right size).
A Sunday in May, 2007
Wake up, stretch, groan, wish I could just go back to sleep, but cats are chewing on my toes and elbows. Get up, stumble downstairs in bare feet, bleary eyed. Feed cats. Put coffee on to brew. M. is just getting up. Pull out the griddle and leftover pancake mix, syrup and fruit compote. Let cats out. Make and eat pancakes w. M., drink coffee. Feel just a bit more human.
After brushing teeth and other standard self-cleaning procedures, turn on the magic electronic box. Check e-mail, and otherwise generally futz around on computer for a couple of hours. After a while, realize it’s getting close to That Time. Get harp packed up, put music and tuner and all other necessary accoutrements into gig bag; make sure I have extra sweater and lots of clothespins (it’s windy today, and we’re playing outside by the water).
Take a shower, pad around in old sweatshirt and pyjama bottoms so as not to get dressy clothes dirty while eating lunch. M. has made lunch for me while I was in the shower, which we eat with much gusto. Clean up, get into nice clothes, find something to keep hair neatly tied back in gale force winds. M. packs harp into car while I’m getting dressed (think I to myself: I so totally have the best roadie ever).
The other gals arrive. We hop in the car, and begin our familiar 45-minute journey down winding country roads towards the resort, one we’ve played at so many times we’ve lost count. Watch clouds gather with great foreboding. Arrive to find that sky at resort is blue and clear, and wind isn’t really so bad – unfortunately, in the pleasant stillness, we realize mosquito season has officially begun. Lug stuff down to our usual spot to find a distinct lack of chairs awaiting our arrival. I tune the harp standing up. Eventually, the co-ordinator (who we’ve known since we started playing this resort) shows up, and arranges to have chairs brought. Co-ordinator struggles with amp system (for minister, not us) and curses under her breath. I am glad I have my job, not hers.
Everything at this resort tends to be in a permanent state of semi-disrepair, despite being advertised as super swank. Lovely location; not so great with the upkeep. We suspect many corners cut in the name of profit, but keep this to ourselves. Wind picks up; sweaters and clothespins to the rescue as usual. Wedding starts late and goes late, is generally unremarkable aside from having a rather strong religious focus. I get a weird vibe off the guys in the wedding party; much aroma of testosterone fills the air. I suspect cops; discover, during ceremony, that they’re fire-fighters. Hmm. Not too far off the mark there. Small male child tottering around, oblivious to the solemnity of the moment, playing with toys and visiting mom and dad (who are both in wedding party), is the most entertaining part of the ceremony.
While everyone else prays, I look up at the trees, through dappled light, admiring the bright green of the leaves, the pale green of lichen on grey trunks, the crisp blue sky, the sound of the wind through the branches.
While we play, the wind keeps stealing the air from our flutist, our instruments slide out of tune (we tweak them back again); chilly fingers stumble in spots, but otherwise this is an easy one. No stands blowing over, no danger of hypothermia, no missed cues (well, no serious ones, anyway). We finish up, drive home, go our separate ways. M. takes harp upstairs for me; I change into comfy clothes, and it’s time for tea and a nice long break.
Throughout the day, I am plagued by thoughts of debt, bills, future employment, piles upon piles of unfinished projects. I realize that my share of the gig money just covered groceries for the week.
I decide to work on my new screenplay as a means of distraction.
As gig days go, this was about as textbook uneventful as you can get. I just thought I’d put this up here to act as a foil, as it were, to all the hellish, mind-numbing, hair-pulling events that will doubtless follow. Cynical? Jaded? Nah – just realistic. There will be times when I wonder, why am I doing this? And then I’ll look at the harried clerk behind the counter at the Timmy’s, and reminisce on all the other jobs I’ve had, and remember – ah yes. That’s why.
An inquiry from a visitor to the Celtic Harp Page reminded me that I never did re-post the list of pentatonic tunes I had up a while ago, so I thought I’d rectify that here. If you can think of any other well-known pentatonic tunes to add to the list feel free to note them in comments. A pentatonic scale is just as it sounds, a scale made up of five notes (as opposed to the 7 notes used by major and minor scales and the classic modes). For example, an example of a major scale would be CDEFGABC, while an example of a pentatonic scale would be CDFGAC. Playing the black keys on a piano will also give you a pentatonic scale. Here is a short list of some well-known pentatonic tunes:
A la claire fontaine (French Canadian )
Amazing Grace
Auld Lang Syne (Scottish)
Derby ram, The
En roulant ma boule, roulant
Git along little dogies (trad cowboy)
Go tell it on the mountain
How Can I Keep From Singing
Il etait un’ bergere (French)
Land of the silver birch (Canadian)
Loch Lomond
Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen (spiritual)
“Old Chinese Song” by Marcel Grandjany (based on Chinese trad. tune)
Old gray mare, The
Sakura (Cherry Blooms, Japanese)
Skye Boat Song
Sukiyaki
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
The Cherry Tree Carol
They Stole My Wife Last Night (Scottish pipe tune)
Wha wadna fight for Charlie?
Wayfaring Stranger
Ye Banks and Braes
…. plus numerous other spirituals, Scottish pipe tunes, Japanese and Chinese songs, etc.
Apologies for the infrequent posting; I’m caught up in April Fools (another monthly writing challenge, to help spur on the finishing of the first draft of my novel), and in the madness my websites are feeling a wee bit neglected. Here’s a cheerful tune for April, by the famous Irish composer and harper, Turlough O’Carolan. (Although it’s hard to believe it’s spring today – here in southern Ontario it’s been quite wintery for five days now, below zero and snowing!).
The HarpBlog Tune of the Month is courtesy of Chubby Sparrow Music . For a printable version, right click on the picture and choose “save target as”, or pop over to the Chubby Sparrow Free Music page for more detailed printing instructions (note: if you just left click and try to print directly from the browser, it probably won’t print at the right size).
Drowsy Maggie is an example of the type of quick reel that is often played in sessions. We usually do this in a set with several other E minor reels. The chords are fairly simple, mostly alternating between Em and D in the A part; and D, A and G in the B part.
The HarpBlog Tune of the Month is courtesy of Chubby Sparrow Music . For a printable version, right click on the picture and choose “save target as”, or pop over to the Chubby Sparrow Free Music page for more detailed printing instructions (note: if you just left click and try to print directly from the browser, it probably won’t print at the right size).
The well-known picture of King David playing a triple harp, by Italian painter, architect and harp-builder Domenico Zampieri (1581-1641). You can click on the image to get a bigger picture. The colour in the larger image isn’t quite as good, but it does show more detail, including a bit more of the top of the painting, and you can see the strings on the harp more clearly.
A number of harp-makers have made replicas based on this painting. Since Zampieri was himself a harp-builder, one might assume that the harp is accurately represented. However, having King David play a triple harp of this sort is, according to Roslyn Blyn-Ladrew, “an anachronistic error by Zampieri of over 2000 years”. You can see Ms. Blyn-Ladrew’s full article here.
The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon (detail) by Edward Burne-Jones
“The Madness of Sir Tristram” by Edward Burne-Jones, 1862